LOST To Stay on Thursday Nights?

Will Thursday nights be the best TV night when our favourite primetime shows come back?

TV Guide's Michael Ausiello reported today that ABC may keep LOST on Thursday nights starting from April, when new episodes of returning shows air. It is said that Grey's Anatomy will keep its 9/8 central timeslot, while LOST will air right after Grey's. Ugly Betty will keep its 8/7 central timeslot as well.

Not only that. Ausiello also said that ABC might keep LOST on Thursday nights for its last two seasons if everything goes well for LOST, ratings-wise.

Wow. My two favourite shows in one night! (Although I barely watched Grey's season 3, and I haven't seen a single episode of season 4.)

Personally, the best-case scenario is for ABC to cancel Dirty Sexy Money, so the network can make room for LOST on Wednesday nights. Unfortunately - for me anyway - ABC picked up Dirty Sexy Money for the 2008-2009 season. Crap.

Oh, there's one more.

Apparently, ABC wants to hold off airing Episode 8 until April. According to Ausiello's "spies" (as he calls them),

"Episode 7 makes for a better, more logical, break."

Now, what does that mean? That it has a better cliffhanger than Episode 8? Hmmm... Interesting. (I don't have enough information on Episode 6, "The Other Woman" as Lostpedia doesn't have a link for the press release yet. The page for Episode 7 has not been created on Lostpedia.)

Anyway, ABC can move LOST to any night and any time. I'm that addicted to LOST. Even if it's Saturdays at four or Mondays at nine, it's fine by me. I'll still watch LOST regardless of the time slot ABC decides for it.

I really just want the Season 4 storyline to be told completely. It's not going to be easy, but the LOST writers can do it. I know it. They're freakin' geniuses!

Of course, nothing has been set in stone. If I were a betting woman, I'd say the writers and their bosses are still trying to decide what's best for LOST Season 4 and beyond.

Stay tuned.

The Strike's Over

Finally.

God has answered the prayers of everyone: the writers, the TV & movie executives, the actors, the rest of the essential players in the TV & movie industries, and most importantly, the fans.

The Writers Guild of America strike is over.

Members of the Writers Guild of America voted Tuesday to end the three-month-old strike. Writers will return to work on Wednesday - as in, tomorrow. The so-called show-runners - which include LOST executive producer Carlton Cuse - went back to work Monday.

These members, however, didn't vote to ratify the tentative agreement reached on February 1. They will have to cast their ballots by February 25.

OK, so what does this mean for the best show on earth (i.e. LOST - duh)?

According to the May 2007 agreement between ABC and Darlton, the three remaining seasons will contain sixteen episodes from February to May. Now, with this strike, only eight episodes were finished. According to this article posted at The Tail Section, Darlton's plan is to finish five more episodes, which will bring the Season Four episode total to thirteen. The remaining three of the sixteen episodes originally planned for Season Four will be added to Season Five. Here's what Carlton has to say regarding this new plan's effects on the storytelling for the current season:

"We'll have to compress some of the storytelling we planned for this season, and that may not be a bad thing. Damon and I feel like we know how we can finish it off and still make it a really, really great story."

Not bad, Darlton, not bad at all.

If the writers get started writing the remaining five episodes by the end of the week (or next week even), production may begin in four weeks or so. Post-production should start immediately after filming for an episode ends, and even while filming for the next episode starts. I imagine the new episodes will be aired in a month and a half, or two months at the most.

I only wonder now what's going to happen to LOST's timeslot. During the tail end of the strike, LOST took over Grey's Anatomy's slot, at 9/8 central Thursday nights. Will LOST go back to its Wednesday slot at 9/8 central (and bump Private Practice from its current timeslot)? Or will ABC give LOST a Monday night timeslot, as rumoured during the hiatus?

I guess we'll have to wait and see. Stay tuned, folks!

Lastly, congratulations to the members of the Writers Guild of America for successfully reaching a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. I don't know the exact terms of the agreement, but I believe the WGA leaders (and members) are satisfied with them. I truly hope they got the contract that they deserve, especially regarding their cut from revenues generated through new media, such as the Internet and digital sales (e.g. LOST episodes on iTunes).

Fantastic day! Ain't it, fellow LOST fans?

Breakthrough Reached?

Is this an answer to everyone's prayer?

Or rather, would it lead to a permanent answer to everyone's prayer?

According to this Associated Press report, there has been a breakthrough in the talks between the Writers' Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

There was no further explanation, nor any other details, regarding this breakthrough. But two unnamed sources (who requested anonymity as they are not authorized to speak publicly regarding these talks) did say that there has been some "significant" progress in the talks between the two parties. One source also said that "a deal might be announced within a week."

This is fantastic news. It has been almost three months since the WGA members started picketing. It has crippled the TV and movie industries, as most (if not all) scripted TV shows that premiered last September or October have run out of fresh episodes and the production for the Angels & Demons film has been postponed. It has also disrupted the awards season, such as the Golden Globes.

I fully support the WGA and I fervently hope that they get what they deserve.

Hopefully, if they reach an agreement within this week, production for LOST will resume and we'll get the sixteen episodes promised for this season.

Please, God.